TRUTH IN TRAVEL
OCTOBER 2015
Papaya
Empanadas
in TULUM,
Biodynamic
Rieslings
in ALSACE,
Dandan
Noodles
in QUEENS,
and 25 More
REASONS
to Travel for
FOOD
Let’s Eat!
+The World
According to
GWYNETH
Photograph by
Inez and Vinoodh
Word of Mouth
Checking In
In Athens, You Should Stay Awhile
In the Greek capital, a centuries-old neighborhood has more to offer these days
than souvenir shops, thanks in part to a new hotel with a bar worth lingering for.
If you’re still under the impression that Athens merits little more than a pit stop—just enough
time to glimpse the Parthenon before moving on to the islands—then you should book a night
or two at the recently opened Athenswas. The hotel’s rooftop bar and unobstructed up-close
views of the Acropolis are major draws, as are the 20 mod-ish rooms with Le Corbusier armchairs and Warren Platner coffee tables. But the real selling point is the hotel’s location in
Plaka, smack dab in the middle of historic Athens. Though it’s full of tourists (especially since
Greece’s economic outlook has become sunnier than it was this past summer), there’s more
to do here than tour the ruins. Below, a cheat sheet on how to fill the time between sightseeing
and toasting during happy hour on the roof (athenswas.gr; from $200). –SARAH KHAN
SPICE: Newly
opened by a former
journalist, Daphnis
and Chloe is a tiny
shop selling foraged
and cultivated
culinary herbs for
which the Greek
islands are famous, all
beautifully packaged.
Specialty food shops
and top restaurants
around the world are
already fans (daphnis​
and​chloe​.com).
Acropolis views from the roof of the Athenswas.
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C O N D É N A S T T R AV E L E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5
SHOP: The Plaka
neighborhood is known
more for its souvenir
shops than for its
stores with style, but
Forget Me Not offers
an antidote to the
tourist dreck with its
playful edit of home
decor items, clothes,
toys, and beauty
products—all from
contemporary Greek
designers (forget​me​not​
athens​.gr).
SIP: The classic
Plaka café Yiasemi
makes an ideal stop
for a mid-afternoon
caffeine fix—locals
love an iced frappé
or a hot shot of Turkish
coffee (just be sure
to call it Greek).
Bright-green alfresco
bistro tables and chairs
climb a set of stone
stairs in a charming
street leading to the
Acropolis (yiasemi​. gr).
An Ultra Cabana by the second-floor pool
at the 1 Hotel and Homes South Beach.
Good for the
Environment
A new hotel brand finds the sweet spot
between sex appeal and sustainability.
Walk into the 1 Hotel and Homes South
Beach and the first thing you’ll notice is the
plants,which are seemingly everywhere—
on the walls, hanging from the ceiling,
potted in the bright, airy lobby, all pumping
out that distilled oxygen as guests, sprawled
on overstuffed couches, sip rosé from
Tom Colicchio’s intimate bar. It’s a “green”
aesthetic to be sure—both literally and figuratively—but one that doesn’t make you feel
like you’re trapped in a West Elm terrarium
or, worse, in an actual jungle. (Makes sense.
The botanical installations are designed by
Wynwood district’s Plant the Future, which
is decidedly more art gallery than florist.) It’s
all representative of the tasteful subtlety that
thrums through former Starwood CEO Barry
Sternlicht’s new passion project, 1 Hotels,
a socially responsible hospitality chain that’s
as cosseting and comforting as it is sustainable. “The key is you don’t have to sleep on
burlap and be miserable,” says Sternlicht, who
in August debuted his second 1 Hotel, near
Manhattan’s Central Park, and will soon open
one in Brooklyn. “It’s been done before, but
nobody’s been doing it in the luxury space.”
One night spent under the covers on an
organic hemp-blend Keetsa bed, wrapped in
a hooded robe, drinking water that comes out
of the tap already triple-filtered, and you’ll
wonder why it’s taken so long (1hotels.com;
from $700). –CANDICE RAINEY
FROM TOP: PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC LAIGNEL/COURTESY 1 HOTEL; COURTESY DESIGN HOTELS
SNACK: Housed in
a refurbed neoclassical
building, Manimani
specializes in dishes
from the rugged
southeastern
Peloponnese region
of Mani, known for
its simple but strong
flavors and for recipes
centered around
fava beans and the
orange-tinged cured
pork called siglino
(mani​mani​.com​. gr).